The impact of Covid-19 on Small Businesses

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on almost every industry in the world. The IMF’s World Pandemic Uncertainty Index for Q1 2020, which stands at 13.46, is comfortably higher than any prior pandemics in the last two decades. During the SARS pandemic in Q2, 2003, the previous high was 4.40. The Uncertainty Index has always been linked to economic consequences, and the pandemic is no exception.

While small firms are projected to be the hardest hit, many of them are seeking to reinvent themselves by embracing technology and focusing on customers. However, not everyone will be able to use the online mode. During the shutdown, many companies were unable to duplicate their previous working model; it is critical to find a new approach.

These organizations are now developing new channels that do not require physical engagement to keep their clients motivated, having previously depended heavily on social interaction and group involvement to keep motivation levels high. For instance, forming WhatsApp groups, presenting role models, hosting online introductory sessions for new members, and holding contests such as plank challenges, surya-namaskar challenges, and skipping challenges, and publicizing victors on social media are all examples.

The ongoing battle to suppress the world’s second-largest coronavirus outbreak in India has stifled demand, disrupted supply networks, and changed consumer behaviors. Many small firms are developing or changing their business models to cope with the new terrain and uncertainties brought on by virus protocols.

After a boom in WhatsApp orders for carrom boards (an Indian game akin to pool with little discs that are flicked into corner pockets) and home exercise equipment, the company, which regularly employs ten people but is suddenly down to four, decided to offer free delivery.

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In this moment of crisis, you might also look for goods that are readily available and can be used as needed. Even the tiniest of details can make a significant difference in the global economy’s recovery during these difficult times. To combat this pandemic, stay cheerful, don’t lose hope, be vigilant, and have a lot of patience.

COVID19 is being fought by everyone, and the entire globe is fighting together to remove it. Treat lockdown as an era of creativity, learning, and wisdom that will help humanity grow into a brighter future.

Because to the enormous economic recession induced by COVID 19, businesses have incurred significant losses and many have lost their jobs. We cannot continue to wait without doing action. As a result, we must become more aware, decisive, and proactive, as well as consider enterprises that can be started from home during lockdown for students, working class, or post-retirement.

Following are some of the best small business ideas that can be started after lockdown:

Healthcare Product Sales
With the implementation of lockdown, the manufacturing of homemade or small-scale masks and hand sanitizers has risen dramatically to fulfil the rising demand for a variety of face masks and hand sanitizers. Several entrepreneurs, small company owners, self-employed professionals, and MSMEs have decided to start making face masks and hand sanitizers instead of closing their present enterprises during the lockdown. Business owners or manufacturers can contact local shops, merchants, and wholesalers directly to sell their products to local customers.

Door-to-door delivery service In the coming years, the internet delivery sector will flourish, and customers will prefer to buy things online rather than visiting grocery stores, malls, and shopping complexes, where there is a higher risk of infection. Doorstep delivery is the best alternative business during the lockdown period, in which various types of delivery services can be initiated, such as essential items delivery, grocery delivery, pharmaceuticals delivery and alcohol delivery. Respective licenses shall be required to be obtained from concerned authority to start a specific delivery business.

Food Delivery or Tiffin Service The Indian Central Government recently gave restaurants and food outlets access to sell meals via online platforms and have it delivered by delivery companies. You can also start a new business by opening a kitchen that serves a popular or desired cuisine in your neighborhood. The initial expenditure is minimal, as it only necessitates the acquisition of raw materials from a trained and professional source.

Paintings or Art work Artists have plenty of time to show off their skills through paintings or other forms of art. Artists have all of the necessary materials and only need to create a virtual display online to sell their work and deliver it to the customer’s address. Artists can host an event and showcase their talent if they have enough space to display their paintings.

While nearly all consumers surveyed (95 percent) are ready to wait out the continued limitations, only 61 percent agree with the continued lockdown measures, indicating a desire to return to normalcy, according to the survey.

Advantages of Online Business

With the development and growth of technology in today’s world, people go for much easier and faster ways to do absolutely anything. Nowadays everything can be easily done with just some clicks here and there. From paying your bills to shopping for your birthday, from wanting to eat a small burger to planning a huge party, almost every single thing is possible online. 

Do you want an Android mobile phone, or do you want a flight ticket to go meet your family? Name it and you got it. Are you still stuck in your mind thinking “Should I start a business online?” If yes, then go nowhere else. We are here to clear your doubts about it and persuade you to just go for it. So yes, you should do business online. Now let’s see why. 

Why Should You Do Business Online? 

We will tell you all about why to start a business online. We are going to shoot you some persuasive points to start a business online. 

  1. Extremely inexpensive

When starting it will be a little expensive but just to fuel the process. Once you have started an online store or maybe an online blog, then you just need a website with a domain name and your business will take off in no time.

  1. Flexibility of time

Depending on the type of online business you wish to start, you will have the flexibility of time and work. You can choose what time of the day you want to work. But this does not mean you relax all the time thinking it is going well. You need to work according to what your business requires. But you can do that at your own convenient time.

  1. Choose your location

In an online business, you are not forced to sit at a desk all the time. You can work from the comfort of your home. You don’t need to spend hours daily stuck in traffic to reach your office or you don’t need to ask for a weekend off to go for a trip with your family. You have the freedom to choose from where you want to work.

  1. Huge income and growth potential

Before starting an online business you should know that your income won’t be defined by the number of hours you work. It solely depends on the amount of progress and productivity of your work. Try to work on the important parts and reduce your time of work. The main focus should be on consistency. Unlike those 9 to 5 office jobs, online business runs even when you relax for some time.

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  1. In action all the time

Online businesses can run all 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It does not require you always hovering over your screen to work all the time. Keep track of what important is going on and relax for a bit. It provides the owner, flexibility in how they want to work.

  1. Outsourcing your work

As you grow in your online business, begin to earn some money you can start to outsource your work to other contractors or hire them. You can also hire some employees to help you ahead in your journey. Outsourcing work does not cost a lot of money instead it helps you grow your business more and at significantly higher levels.

  1. Focus on important things

One of the most useful perks of starting a business online is that it allows you to focus on the most important aspects of your life rather than just working 24/7. You can build a platform for yourself by sharing your information and ideas with like-minded people. You can spend quality time with your friends and family. You can also guide other individuals thinking of starting an online business too.

  1. Creates long term financial security

An online business that you started just as an experiment of a new thing, can be grown to become a stable, well-established business in the market. It can become your main source of revenue as well. It will provide you with financial security for a longer period than you expected. And not just one, you can add more businesses along the way.

  1. Less overhead and financial commitment

To start a business, people usually take loans, property leases are signed, and what not is done to start the business. But the advantage of online business is that it requires a less overhead and financial commitment. This is also a great path for young entrepreneurs to chase their passion and find stability at a young age.

  1.  Easy to excel

 It has become much easier to be successful in online businesses than it is in others. There is much scope in many different types of businesses around the world. 

There, you have it. You have now got all the motivation you need to start an online business. Make sure to keep these points in mind whenever you have doubts about starting an online business. Hope we threw away the question from your mind. Now, what do you say? Should you start a business online? We hope you got the correct answer. Yes, go for it!

Small Scale Industries: helping in a BIG way

Small Scale Industries (SSI) are those industries in which manufacturing, providing services, productions are done on a micro scale. Small scale industries play an important role in the social and economic development of India. These industries do a one-time investment in machinery, plants, and industries which could be on an ownership basis, hire purchase or lease basis.

The SSI sector produces a wide range of industrial products such as food products, beverage, tobacco and tobacco products, cotton textiles, wool, silk, synthetic products, jute, hemp & jute products, wood & wood products, furniture and fixtures, paper & paper products, printing publishing and allied industries, machinery, machines, appliances and electrical machinery. The SSI sector also has a large number of service industries.  The small-scale sector in India embracing of a diverse range of units from traditional crafts to high- tech industries.  The number of SSI working units (registered & unregistered) in India totalled 11.4 million in 2003-04-80.5 percent of which are proprietary concerns and 16.8 percent are partnership firms and private limited companies. They have always played an important role in the economies of all major industrial countries. The Report of the Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) growth for 12th 5-year Plan (2012–17), unveils that the sector accounts for 45% of the manufacturing output and 40% of the total exports of the country. Further the Ministry of MSME’s (2017) highlights that the MSMEs accounted for 30.74% of GDP in the year 2014–15. Current economic forecast or survey interprets that with the Indian Economy growing at an average of 7% per annum, it is likely to become a $5 trillion economy by the year 2025. Hence, the development of the MSME sector is essential and it is considered to be the backbone of the Indian economy. Small-scale industry is playing a paramount role in the industrial landscape of our country.

The growth in employment in this sector over years has been noteworthy. The small-scale industries have shown splendid progression in their quantity, production, employment and exports. The cumulative number of units has increased from 105.21 lakhs in 2001-02 to 115.22 Lakhs in 2003-04 to 630 lakhs as of 2020. The number of individuals employed in small scale units too, has gone up from 249.09 lakhs in 2001- 02 to 273.97 lakhs in 2003-04 to 11 crores in 2020. Exports from small scale sector account for nearly 35 percent of the gross value of exports from our country. Total value of exports of this sector has increased from Rs. 71,244 crores in 2001-02 to Rs. 86,013 crores in 2002-03 to a value of $14740 crore and by 2022 it is expected that MSMEs will contribute 60% to India’s total exports. The total value of production of small-scale units comes to nearly 40 percent of the total value of industrial output of the country. Over the years an inspiring trend in exports has been observed in the dimension of increase in exports of unconventional products from this sector.

The SSI has emerged as an ever-changing phenomenon of the Indian economy. At the national level, this sector has performed extremely well and enabled our country to attain industrial diversification. SSIs have made a portentous endeavour to increase in employment fortunes and productivity prospects. If its potential is properly harnessed, it can help in accentuating the pace of balanced regional progress apart from creating employment opportunities.